When I first bought this pink coat years ago, I second guessed myself. Pink is not a color you’ll find much of in my closet–(I think it starts and ends with this coat and this purse, and a new vintage dress I just bought last weekend) although, I’m REALLY loving pink lately, and I’m looking forward to adding more of the feminine color to my rotation this year.

But, despite my doubts, it ended up topping the list of my best ever purchases. When it comes to buying coats, I always think of my friend Maria‘s advice (which she got from her grandmother!) Find a coat you love, and buy it in a fun color that makes you feel beautiful. (She was so right!) You can also see this coat styled in this post.

I was actually running VERY behind before this shoot (per usual, big shocker there) and only had 10 minutes to get ready before I was supposed to leave, so I stuck to two tried and true combinations that always work for me: 1. one color scheme (in this instance, neutrals) and 2. boyfriend jeans + feminine heels. (It’s the perfect “opposites attract” factor that makes it work so well.)

Plus, these shoes really make everything look good (#swoon). I got them from Zappos a few weeks back and was so sad when they sold out so quickly (I hate when I’m so excited to share something new with you and then it sells out before you can buy it for your own pretty closet!) but I found that Dillards still has them in stock! (I’ve never shopped there personally, but hey, looks like they have great taste in shoes!) You can also snag them in three other colors at Nordstrom!

To top off my “10 minute sprint getting ready session” I went through several different sweaters (all now covering my floor. My Grandpa would have described this scene as a “whirling dervish,” a term he often used to describe me as a chaotic young human. Some things never change) and finally landed on this fuzzy number. I absolutely love the texture of it, which makes the outfit a bit more interesting.

HOWEVER although I love all of these things, my favorite item of them all is this sweet, delicate rose gold necklace that Neal’s sister, Maura got me for Christmas. (You can order one on Etsy here!) It’s engraved with the coordinates of home in Oregon and is perhaps one of the most thoughtful gifts ever. She picked it out intentionally to match my initial “J” necklace. (Thank you, Maura!!) His mom also got me some other amazing jewelry you’ll be seeing in a later post.

So, with no time to shower, up went my hair into this messy chignon, which I haven’t done in forever–I forgot how much I liked it! YAY let’s all embrace dirty hair more, shall we?

Finally (seriously, sorry I am SUCH a chatterbox today) with little time, my makeup was minimal: foundation, bronzer, a swipe of mascara and the kicker: liquid eyeliner for a subtle cat eye, and a bright pink lip, which make such a stunning combo, nobody will notice you’re barely wearing any other makeup!

So let’s get into more detail here–

The cat eye:I have NEVER been able to master the cat eye. Either the line I make is super wobbly, I can never get my eyes even, the formula dries too fast and then I can’t correct it, or it dries too slow and as soon as I blink I have black eyeliner everywhere on my eye lids.

But then Clinique sent me their “Pretty Easy” liquid eyeliner pen (during a meeting with their team I had complained how terrible I was with liquid eyeliner) and they were convinced their eyeliner pen was the answer. (They were right! And no, they didn’t ask me to say this, either.) You guys I LOVE this product. I’ve worn it so much that I’m almost out and will be re-ordering more. The pen is super easy to draw on, and it dries quick, but not too quickly that you can’t correct it with a q-tip here and there. Please give it a try! (By the way, I recommend buying all experimental beauty products from Sephora or Nordstrom, which offer 100% money back guarantees if you don’t like the product!)

Okay, stepping off the eyeliner soap box, let’s move on.

The pink lip:Before a wedding earlier this summer, I was determined to find a lipstick that stayed put all night. I’ve spent too much time at weddings worrying about my damn lipstick.

(One of the few occasions where you actually NEED a lipstick to last from 2pm-2am. How many times have you walked into the bathroom at a wedding at 10pm absolutely HORRIFIED at how bad your lipstick looks? #Shudder).

The typical application process consists of: 1. lip primer, 2. Filling in the lip with the pencil (the shade you select should match the lip color you plan to layer over it) and 3. Finishing with a swipe of M.A.C. matte lipstick. It’s magical. I’m actually wearing it as we speak. I applied it three hours ago and have gone through two cups of coffee and it hasn’t budged.